All year long, there is one vacation that the majority of America longs for. Summer vacation. Taking that long awaited trip is proven to do wonders for your smile. Whether you are headed to the beach or a getaway in the mountains, scientists say that time away is bound to clean out the gutters of your heart and make life a little easier to handle. Below are three things you can do to solidify that dose of happiness in your life.
Write About It
As we go along this journey in life, we experience many ups and downs. Unfortunately, the downs are what hold us back, sometimes. Yet, we choose more often to write about the happy times in our life.
While that is a great pastime and a wonderful way to remember the great times, writing about the not so good times helps to clear the clutter a little. Even the business world understands the value of writing. The bad times don’t just disappear when you go on vacation.
You may receive a much needed break from dealing with them, but they don’t just go away. What an extended stay away from home does afford you is the time to contemplate your troubles in a new light and possibly discover new found wisdom through writing about them.
Picture It
What is the number one souvenir taken home from any vacation? Photographs! It is estimated that the average family on summer vacation will take over 200 photos, not to mention the countless selfies and social media posts. This is beneficial in a couple of ways.
First, this means that you are on the lookout for memories that you can capture on camera. If you were spending the trip sulking like Eeyore, you wouldn’t even notice the fun around you. Second, taking these pictures now will help you and your family hold onto those memories and allow you to relive them for decades to come.
So, taking pictures now will not only help you through your present storm, but will give you the wind to blow the storm clouds away in the future, as well.
Sing About It
One of the great things about a family road trip is singing together. Have you ever noticed how singing tends to soothe a cranky baby, keep even the most wired child focused, or help you get over a breakup or a bad day, in general? There is science for that.
Singing helps to relieve your body of the stress hormone, cortisol. It’s a natural antidepressant. So, whether you are still bummed about a situation at home or something that didn’t quite go right on your trip, you can literally sing your blues away. Singing also offers benefits to your immune system and even your social skills.
Vacation is a wonderful tool for helping to reset our emotional clocks. Use these tips to help you keep it ticking even while away.
